Rising Above The Usual Horizon
by MasiaK
Summary: She's unsure of how she arrived, but has change on her mind. Asahi finds herself suddenly hyperaware of her forest surroundings, with new abilities and memories. Crossing into the Naruverse!
1. Last Minute Encounters

***I apologize for any abnormalities, errors, or spoilers. :-P**

***Thanks for reading!**

***Any _constructive_ reviews would be great!**

It's been five hours since I jolted awake in this serene forest clearing. When I woke up, my head filled with techniques and knowledge I didn't know I had…because I didn't. I've only heard of "_chakra_" existing in the _Naruverse. _So far I've gathered:

My name is Asahi, which means 'rising sun'. I possess the fabled Rinnegan, thought only to belong to the Sage of the Six Paths. My Trademark techniques are Devastation Senbon, (Literal needles made by compacting the magnetic energy granted by the Shinra Tensei ability) and my way of Disassociating.

I didn't understand Disassociating at first, so I used my newfound knowledge of shadow clones to create a few to attack me. At least I now had people to talk to? After staring at myself standing a few feet away from me, (I don't think I'll ever get used to that…) I stood still while the clones readied three senbon each. "Please don't hit anything vital." I shakily pleaded to the clones. I jumped a bit when my own voice answered "We'll try…" and smiled. The solid, compressed magnetic energy cut through the air with a 'whoosh' sound, and I braced myself for the impact.

But it never came! All three of me stood in awe as we stared as the other me, who stood where I could've sworn I was a few seconds ago, pull the senbon out of blood-stained clothes. "Asahi? Where are you?" The shadow clones asked panicked. "What do you mean? I'm right here." But they couldn't see me, at least not until they jumped in surprise at my reappearance.

That was… weird. "You were invisible, and you moved so fast we didn't see you swap out with a shadow clone." The clones applauded me. "But I didn't do that, and that's not a shadow clone. They don't bleed, they disappear upon being hit." I was starting to doubt my sanity. The bleeding clone was just as shocked as us (maybe even more so since she was bleeding) but didn't object when I said, "Let me try something."

Overwhelmed by curiosity I formed the sign to activate the senbon. They're made by compacting the magnetic energy (as seen used by Pain's Deva Path) so I can release all of it at once, creating a blast of energy. I screamed. No later than when I formed the seal, the realistic clone just disappeared. Her memories flooded back to me and I saw of her taking the senbon for me, then having being reduced to atoms by the explosion of me activating them.

"I got another memory. So when I disassociate, I avoid all physical attacks by my body creating a clone with just as much as a life span as me, on instinct. And the best part is, it requires no chakra." I reasoned aloud.

Move over Gaara, this is the new 'ultimate defense'!

Fancy, another memory! "I can do that by will too." A minute amount of chakra created ten perplexed me's, who then agreed to let me practice my aim and techniques with them. It's not like I ever needed to dodge. These clones were realistic, so they didn't succumb very easily. Luckily, an even more confused clone took every beating they tried to give me.

I had used a lot of chakra, and finally understood why that tired people out. I laid on the ground and made a 'grass angel'.

"That certainly was interesting, wasn't it Sasuke." I'd know that _brainiac-with-a-napoleon-complex_ tone anywhere. Kabuto was here! Not to mention the 'last of the Uchihas' himself, Sasuke. And he was about to speak!

"Hn." He said flatly. Well, he spoke a little. I promised myself I wouldn't fangirl.


	2. Flaws

With a characteristic hand on his hip, Sasuke stared through me. "Kabuto and Sasuke…" I said quietly. "So you at least know _our _names." Kabuto said as some sort of cue. "My name is Asahi." I said. First names are safe to give out, right? Kabuto eyed me suspiciously, and used a finger to push up his glasses. Sasuke activated his sharingan and in panic, my Rinnegan activated.

Completely un-phased, Sasuke drew out his sword in one swift motion. I guess he didn't want to make me suffer any suspense as I watched him ready to kill me. He leaped into the air as his chakra lit up the blade a brilliant white, and suddenly memories of every clone I had created rushed to me. He sliced through them as quickly as if they were flowers, and still had that bored expression on his face as the smoke from their deaths cleared.

When I get extremely nervous or mad, my eye twitches. It's normally almost nonexistent to anyone but the person experiencing it, but I think the mix of fear and rage I felt watching him do that pushed it over the edge. Sasuke just shrugged at my apparent annoyance and said, "They were annoying."

I looked over my shoulder and muttered, "You're annoying." It was like a chain reaction, the way Sasuke's smirk melted away and Kabuto's grew. "I noticed you're avoiding looking at my sharingan. Are you scared?" His tone was almost daring.

"There's a fine line between fright and distrust…" I trailed off, notably emphasizing my last word. My first comeback of the day, and it felt nice!

"Lord Orochimaru, do you have any interest in this girl?" Kabuto inquired.

"Yes. Bring her to our current hideout. I'm interested in preforming more tests on that Rinnegan of hers." And with a snake-like lick of the tongue, Orochimaru was just a brief afterimage.

"I've a slight interest as well." Sasuke mockingly raised his eyebrow to match my own shocked expression.

"Well, seeing as you couldn't even sense our chakra, when we weren't trying to hide it, I'll assume you don't know any basic shinobi training techniques." Kabuto stated, rather than asked. Something sticky was trickling down my arm. I'm bleeding? Shouldn't I have disassociated?

"Your strange form of defense is only as good as your own speed and reaction time, and both of yours are poor. Also, you can only defend against physical attacks, so things like genjutsu still leave you vulnerable. I doubt you can even dispel one, yet." Sasuke: The King of Sugar-Coating.

"Lord Orochimaru can train you, come along." Kabuto turned around and started away, seemingly a bit annoyed when I didn't follow. "Sasuke, I think she needs … motivation." I quickly walked backwards (still not too keen on the whole doing a backflip across great distances thing…) away from Sasuke and clasped my hands together to form three disassociated-by-will-style clones.

I could barely get out my small muffled gasp of anger and shock, let alone make any clones, as Sasuke's hand connected with the side of my neck. At least he caught me as I blacked out.


	3. In Motion

**Asahi's POV (Still...) **

"I remember this!" I screeched at the sight of Orochimaru's Kusagakure base. This is where Sai would attempt to kill Sasuke, and where Naruto and Sakura would meet up with Sasuke after over two years. My shriek of awakening was enough to deter the Uchiha, and with an exasperated expression, he put me down.

"So you're awake." Kabuto said, recovering from a wince.

"How do you remember a place you've never been to before?" Sasuke's tone was riddled with suspicion.

I panicked, "This rock, it's … metamorphic! I remember reading about it somewhere before." I twirled the rock around in my hand, and then threw it at a tree. Kabuto lead us closer and closer to the '_ordinary rock formation'_, that's really an entrance to a mass of underground rooms.

Of all of Orochimaru's hideouts, this one was my favorite. Maybe because it contained some of the most intense scenes. "Head on through here." Kabuto gestured with his free hand, that wasn't adjusting his frames. Sasuke brushed past, through the door before turning to me.

"Asahi…" He trailed off. It sounded like he was trying to get something off his chest, but didn't have the guts to say it.

"Yes?" I was getting a bit concerned.

"Asahi, you're a terrible liar." He finished, nonchalantly and with a hint of displeasure. Kabuto's small chuckle echoed through the dark, rocky entryway.

**Kabuto's POV**

"Lord Orochimaru, about that Asahi girl…" I said to the Snake Sannin. "She's peculiar. The things she says sound like she already knows more about us than we do. Now that I think back on it, she was aware of Sasuke and I's names before we even introduced ourselves. Even if, let's say hypothetically, she had a '_Bingo Book'_, my reward bounty is so insignificant compared to you or Sasuke's, most people wouldn't even give my name a second glance. It's like she dropped out of the sky."

I finished sorting through a stack of papers and records, and took out a vial filled with a teal liquid.

"You're right. She has access to more knowledge than she's letting on." Lord Orochimaru stood in the doorway and looked off into space, seemingly thinking of an approach. "Kabuto, bring Sasuke here. I'd like to hear his opinion on this matter, and if push comes to shove, his talents in genjutsu may be helpful in finding out what exactly she knows." Orochimaru said to me.

"Yes, Lord Orochimaru." I gave a slight bow and smirked. This was going to be interesting.


	4. Reveal

I shifted uncomfortably. This bed wasn't comfortable at all. How did they sleep every night?

"Get up." Sasuke commanded coldly. "Well _Good Morning_ to you too…Why didn't you knock or something?" I retorted.

I glanced around the dimly lit room, eyeing its cavern enclosures and watching the wall-candles flicker. I know this is a secret underground hide out, but the atmosphere could be _a little _more exciting.

"The Snake wants to see you in the main sitting room." Sasuke informed me.

I stared at him in confusion, before letting my expression be reduced to slight annoyance, like his. Sasuke sighed irritably. "Take a left, then three rooms down."

* * *

Upon entering the room, something immediately didn't feel right, especially because this room actually looked…_modern_. There were chairs and a table in the middle of the room, and it even had a centerpiece placed on the top. The walls were still that rusty-brown color, and it was still drafty, but it looked like someone tried a little here. Though, when you're mainly experimenting and training, I guess décor doesn't matter.

"You can sit if you'd like." Kabuto smiled fakely and gestured to a lavender loveseat. I patted down the cushions, checking for anything sharp, they may be trying to kill me off. After a earning a few awkward stares from them, I sat. Orochimaru's voice cut through the silence.

"Asahi, tell us about your past before you came to be in our presence." Does he mean before I was basically kidnapped? I stared at him, waiting for more memories to resurface.

Nothing.

"I…Uh…" I can't lie about belonging to a village can I? That's easily verifiable though (or in my case easily proven false).

"If you're going to be difficult, we should try and get more information outside." Sasuke, was clearly not amused.

"Perhaps the fresh air will stimulate your memory." Kabuto offered.

And so outside we went. As we stepped out into its warming rays, my eyes burned with sunlight. After readjusting, I turned back to face the trio. That was a mistake.

My eyes met a blazing sharingan, and I found myself back in the sitting room, with Sasuke. So this was a genjutsu? "Now, explain." He demanded. I told them everything.

About how much I treasured the Naruto series, about my apparent abilities, about how I knew about their future and their pasts. I may as well demonstrate. I recounted aloud the day Sasuke left the Leaf, Kabuto's orphanage experiences, and gave the Wiki theory on why Orochimaru probably was so fascinated with snakes. Of course, they knew all this already, but I feel like this isn't something you'd right out believe.

The illusion ended and I was back outside, listening to a bird chirp in the distance, and being subjected to slightly amazed stares. Honestly, I could transform into a bat and fly away and they'd still only express a mild shock.

* * *

**? POV**

Well that was… interesting to say the least. I sighed. That girl knows too much information for her own good. Getting a condensed life story was certainly riveting. I'm just surprised The Orochimaru Gang hasn't sensed us yet.

"The hawk came back; we've got the order to obtain the girl now, too." I said to my team wirelessly.

My communicator buzzed with an unenthusiastic reply, "It was bad enough we have to capture Mr. Uchiha over there, but now _her_ too? Are you even sure she wasn't lying?"

It's not like I didn't agree, this is going to be a long day.


	5. A New Mission

***You'd be surprised how much time one has to type when terrible weather buys you a whole extra week of vacation :-D**

The leaf shinobi regrouped, leaping from the trees and bushes, after Sasuke, Orochimaru, Kabuto, and _that other girl _returned to their base.

"Kakashi…" Shikamaru said to me. "I know you said your last meeting with Sasuke didn't go too well…" No, it didn't. Having a Chidori Nagashi rip lightning through your entire body _did not_ feel very nice. "But on this second attempt, did the Hokage really need to send the _entire_ Konoha 11?" He finished, tiredly.

"Plus Sai." Kiba added mockingly.

Kakashi had to admit, sending all these shinobi on _anothe_r mission where they'd encounter Sasuke Uchiha, wasn't a good idea. I mean some of them were still Genin. I looked at Naruto, who was busy inspecting a raised, baseball-sized hole in the ground. No doubt, it was animal made.

"I know it's a bit extreme, but with now_ two_ people with possible issues to drag back to Konoha, we need all the help we can get." I smiled through my mask and shrugged.

"AH! Sakura, help!" Naruto screamed, dancing wildly in an attempt to throw off the Crayfish that latched on his nose. The hit he took to the head promptly knocked the poor creature loose.

"Baka." Neji, Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru, and Sakura muttered in unison. "N-Naruto?" Hinata blushed, inspecting from afar if the dunce was okay, and trusting an energetic Lee to do so up close.

"Naruto_ is_ an idiot." Shino started. "That is because…" Kakashi blocked him out. This really _was_ going to be a long day.

* * *

**"**Sasuke, you've been eyeing me weird all morning." I mean it isn't _that _unusual, but it still irked me.

I was to experience another intervention in the sitting room after my partly unwilling confession. Everyone was here sitting awkwardly on the couch, everyone except Kabuto and Orochimaru. Minutes ticked by and the intricate designs on the walls were looking pretty interesting.

"So exactly how much _do_ you know about me?" Sasuke asked. I tried to word my answer carefully; I didn't want to set him off by mentioning the massacre or anything.

"Well… anything major that's happened in your life, I probably know a little about it."

"Hn." Since he was making small talk, Sasuke was probably bored too.

Where were those two? I'd gotten up out of bed again for this, and they pull a Kakashi. Finally, the door creaked open. "Ah, Sasuke, Asahi, how are you." Orochimaru greeted.

I doubted he really cared so I didn't answer.

"Oro—I mean Lord Orochimaru," Even if I'm not in a very familiar place, manners are important, especially if someone could kill you. "Why am I here?"

"At the moment, you're not particularly strong, but with the right training even you could get there. Don't misunderstand, I've chosen Sasuke as my vessel already." Well if _even I _could accomplish something, it was worth a try.

The Uchiha scoffed, and inwardly, I felt a little bad for the Snake Sanin. All this dedication, only to have Sasuke kill you.

"Here, you will get basic trainings and a heightening of your techniques, and I will gain knowledge on the Rinnegan. You will gain a home, and I'll figure out how to reproduce your odd style of automatic defense. You'll learn of espionage, and I'll gain a useful subordinate." Finally Orochimaru finished his bribe.

"So essentially, you want another Kabuto?" I grimaced.

The expert spy himself added, "Of course we know you won't warm up to us right away, but eventually you'll—"

Sasuke, who'd been almost silent, interrupted. "Who's going to be training her exactly?"

"Why, my little vessel, you of course." Orochimaru said as if talking to a small child.

* * *

"You really don't know _anything_." Sasuke said exasperated. He took me to a nearby waterfall and lake formation, which I recognized from a movie as a regular training spot for him. I stared at that extremely large tree over near the waterfall. I wonder if he'll teach me chakra control the same way he learned it? We started with the Tree Climbing exercise.

"Create a continuous stream of chakra to your feet, then run up that tree." He paused. "Without using your hands." So this was the hard part. How much chakra was too much? Too little? I put so little chakra on my feet, I barely even felt it. That's the point right, to become so adept you don't even notice? I could climb trees with my hands, so this shouldn't be too different. At least that's how I reassured myself.

After about 45 minutes of falling, trying to cheat by using magnetic energy to propel myself up, and a lot of glares, I finally got four feet up...the ten foot tree. And then another foot higher on the next go. And then another. And another. Until finally, I was standing sideways, _on top of a tree_.

The Waterfall exercise came a bit more naturally, because I prefer falling on the ground to getting drenched and never hearing the end of it. My first step on the water (After recoiling my foot a few times) was a success. But then the water started moving. My chakra control fluctuated and I felt my feet starting to slide under. I made the disassociation sign just in time too, only my feet were soggy. That clone on the other hand, was sopping wet.

Sasuke disposed of her, and told me to try again. So this time I closed my eyes and tried to flow my chakra like the water. I took a few steps, and then started running. "I did it! I'm done!" I announced, victorious.

Orochimaru appeared out of the trees and congratulated me, before Sasuke meekly added, "Well, you didn't take as long as Naruto."

"Sasuke, you're skilled at creating new techniques, why don't you help her with the next step too?" Orochimaru left again, with Kabuto in tow. Sasuke stared at me with no form of expression, and then seemingly came up with some way to make this work. He motioned for me to follow, and I did.

Okay, I had chakra control down, next was personalizing my jutsu. I'm really hoping that doesn't involve any experiments.

* * *

**Meanwhile, back with the leaf ninja…**

"Hey, shut up! You're the baka!" Naruto was defending himself to his fellow shinobi, mainly Kiba. "So just how long _did_ you take to finish the exercise Naruto?" Kiba choked out through laughs, grasping his stomach. Akamaru barked in agreement, seemingly laughing just as hard.

The leaf shinobi had watched Asahi's training session, with interest. It reminded them of when they were younger.

"Kakashi Sensei, would striking while the two are distracted with her training be the right thing to do?" Sakura asked the Jonin.

"Well, if we were dealing with a normal shinobi, yes. But Sasuke's bound to be on guard, and knowing Naruto he'd rush out to try and talk some sense into his best friend before we finished going over anything." Kakashi sighed.

"Shikamaru, do you have a plan?" Ino looked at him expectantly.

"Well it's not much of a plan, but I do have something." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, this mission is troublesome.

* * *

***Normally, all of my chapters have been much shorter than this, but this was a lot more fun to write.**


	6. Copy Cat

"Watch it Sasuke!" I screamed as another ball of fire came my way. I watched them engulf everything behind me, it's like he was _trying_ to hit me.

"Stop!" I barely missed getting burned, although my clothing kept getting singed. Even if I_ might_ disassociate, no one wants to risk getting roasted by flames of hate, not even a clone.

"Stop running and start trying to stop the flames." Sasuke said casually.

"With what? I don't know any water techniques yet!" The grass to my sides was blackened, with tiny sparks still lingering. Sasuke impatiently crossed his arms.

"Stop it with your senbon, idiot. You're hopeless." He muttered.

This was frustrating. How could a few needles survive being burnt to a crisp in_ that thing_? I thought about it. Technically, fire is made of atoms and molecules, so in theory, I _could_ do this.

"I can change its nature and…" I reasoned to myself aloud.

With my hands raised, Sasuke watched as Ping-Pong ball sized spheres of the same black material I've become so acquainted with appeared. Then, he watched as they melted into a dark liquid. He smirked, finally ready for somewhat of a challenge.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." Was my only warning.

The heat of the ball inched closer, and the light licked the grass three feet in front of me.

Acting fast, I expanded the distance between my hands, and the liquid coated the fireball, and then hardened. Sasuke, not being one to be out done, prepared another one, with his sharingan activated.

"Not this time Sasuke." He looked up, eyes slightly widening as a shadow clone jumped down upon him, throwing a kunai.

"Activate." I muttered. I clasped my hands together and the black sphere was gone, leaving behind a torrent of wind.

Side stepping, and then impaling the clone, Sasuke's clothes flapped wildly in the wind. "Interesting." He finally said.

* * *

Over the next few hours, I learned to use the devastation material to coat, smash, and impale things, before having to detonate them. The sun was nearly set by now. I practiced using the '_Animal_ _Path_' and used a few summons, reigning in a bird with a drill for a beak. I used the _'King of Hell' _and figured out how to revive clones without wasting chakra to produce more.

All in all, it was a pretty productive day. I was feeling proud, almost.

"You still don't know any elemental techniques."

Dang it Sasuke, can't I have anything?

* * *

**Leaf Ninja POV**

"That training session literally _burned_ with youth!" Lee was ecstatic.

Kiba huffed, "Whatever, that dog with all the heads was almost an exact copy of Akamaru and me."

"Except, it was relatively strong." Said added dully, ignoring Kiba's glare in his face, and blocking out Akamaru's growl.

Ino and Sakura exchanged an irritated glance, and hit the two over the head, causing Hinata to shield her eyes and Naruto to laugh.

Kakashi, however, made no effort to hide his amusement." Well, we should get going then." He said, jumping after Orochimaru's disciples. He henged into the Snake Sanin, as per Shikamaru's strategy. Getting his communicator in place, Kakashi appeared ominously from the trees just as Orochimaru had done earlier.

* * *

**Asahi POV**

"Ah." Orochimaru said, walking into me and Sasuke's poor, battered section of the forest.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, "Why are you here_ again_?" he asked.

Orochimaru didn't blink or falter at Sasuke's tone, and said "I'm just checking up on my pupils, how's it going, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke activated his sharingan. "Where is Kabuto?"

Orochimaru smiled in a way that made me a little sick and said, "He's back at the hideout."

Sasuke drew out his blade. "You're not Orochimaru; you're a different type of snake."

"Sharp as ever, Sasuke. Nice to see you again." The man said, as he slowly transformed into his true self.

"Kakashi!" I exclaimed, stepping closer. "It's nice to meet you, Copy Ninja."


	7. A New Leaf

Kakashi smiled through his mask, "Nice to meet you Asa—"

But he couldn't finish his sentence, at least not with Sasuke's blade through the Jonin's chest.

"Your method of infiltration…was incorrect." Sasuke said.

I sighed. Not even a month here and I've gotten a major character killed.

"Sasuke, that wasn't a very warm welcome." Kakashi, replaced by a log-substitution, frowned.

Sasuke stared as Kakashi covered his sharingan back with his headband.

"You know Kakashi, you should be grateful to the Uchiha clan. It's an honor to wield our coveted dojutsu." Sasuke shattered the log with his hand.

So Kakashi isn't dead at least, but why _was_ he here? Something felt… off. Almost like that feeling one gets when being watched. I don't plan on announcing my every move to the world, unlike some people here. Maybe that's why the Konoha 11 was surprised to be coerced out of hiding by my clones.

It was awkward.

I stood between two opposing forces, of current Leaf shinobi, versus an ex Leaf shinobi. I cut through the silence and glares with a nervous cough.

"Not to seem too rude, but why exactly_ are_ you here, Hatake Kakashi and company?" I offered weakly.

Glancing at Sasuke, Neji answered for him. "Our mission is to bring in one missing, and one suspicious Nin."

"Define _'Suspicious'._" I asked, creating air quotes with my fingers.

"One could stand to reason that it's an awfully strange coincidence we overheard you admitting to wielding extensive knowledge of the leaf, and us. It could also be counted as strange you even knew Kakashi's name." Shikamaru said with a mix of exhaustion and sarcasm.

"Who wouldn't know Kakashi? He's famous in every country." I snapped back.

"You admitted to not being from a country, while under a genjutsu." Neji retaliated calmly.

"Why are you so quick to believe everything you hear? Shinobi aren't supposed to automatically except possibly invalid information as true, without analyzing it first." Even I could tell it sounded like I was trying to save face.

"I've drawn from the data, that in fact, you were telling the truth about this… wealth of knowledge." Sai said with purpose.

"That's an interesting conclusion." I said simply.

"Oh Asahi, you've always been a terrible liar." Kabuto appeared to my right, sighing.

He continued, "Thank you for your generous offer to take these two off our hands…" Sasuke still showed no emotion, despite indirectly being called a burden. "…but we'll be leaving now, as should you." Kabuto finished, sunlight gleaming white off his glasses.

"We can't do that, we're on a mission." Naruto pointed his thumb towards himself, "And I'm bringing Sasuke home!" He announced enthusiastically.

"Right Naruto, we'll show them what we're made of!" Lee struck his signature pose, leaving two idiotic looking boys with their thumbs in awkward positions.

"I like the enthusiasm." I said with a small smile.

Tenten huffed exasperatedly, "Don't encourage them."

Temple throbbing, Sakura started to regain composure. "He's right; we can't leave without those two." She said, motioning to Sasuke and me.

I muttered under my breath, "Yeah, wouldn't want to fail this mission again…"

Hinata briefly looked up at me, and met my eye. She immediately looked away.

"I'm afraid this will have to go down as another failure, which is in your best interests. I don't know if I'll be able to convince Sasuke not to kill you this time." Kabuto said in a way suggesting he wouldn't even try.

"I have a suggestion, or rather a compromise. Maybe this way we can avoid another fight." I said, as I walked over to Kabuto.

I whispered my plan in his ear and looked on pleadingly. Kabuto looked surprised, and thought it over.

"That's a very drastic idea, we'll have to consult Lord Orochimaru. Although, I can see how that would be beneficial to him, and to Sasuke."

Sasuke looked at us with a hint of curiosity, along with everyone else who wasn't included in the conversation.

"I'll go summon Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto disappeared for a few minutes before reappearing with the Snake Sanin.

"I see." Orochimaru looked at me, in silence.

"Hatake Kakashi," Orochimaru turned to face the Silver-haired Jonin. "How would you feel about completing your mission, by 50%?"

"50%?" The younger leaf shinobi asked in unison.

"That's over half complete right?" Naruto asked with a spark of hope.

"No, that_ is_ half." Ino rolled her eyes.

Orochimaru seemed to marvel at the group before him. "Asahi goes to the leaf, for one month. Then, returns here, at the beginning of the next month. Sasuke stays here to continue his training."

"That seems like a really convenient way for you to have a subordinate located in the Leaf." Tenten said skeptically.

"Asahi isn't his subordinate." Sasuke said abruptly.

Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke before adding, "Yes. While Asahi resides with me, our bond is more like the one I share with Sasuke than the one I share with Kabuto."

"She's power thirsty too?!" Naruto pointed at me.

"No! But he's training me, like Sasuke. Also, he's using me to obtain something…like Sasuke. I do have someone I want to kill though, but me and Sasuke share different reasons for that too." I thought about Obito and Madara, and about the Akatsuki. I've never thought all members of the Akatsuki were bad; most of them have reasons why they are how they are. Is it wrong to hold their actions against them, since they have tragic pasts, and they haven't even done anything yet really?

"I've never told you of my ambitions." Sasuke said blankly.

"Are you still pretending like what we heard was a lie, Asahi?" Sakura asked, with oddly enough a sense of humor behind it.

I laughed in reply, and then turned expectantly towards Kakashi for his answer. Everyone else followed my lead.

"Sure." Kakashi eye-smiled.

"Wait, how will I get to the leaf from here and vice versa?" I questioned.

"Well, on months where you go to Konoha, we'll escort you." Kakashi stated.

"When it's time for your return to us, meet at this hideout. I'll have an escort waiting to take you to our current residence." Orochimaru was smart for that, still changing his location despite the Leaf knowing about of one of them already.

"We'll be on our way then…" Kakashi leapt onto a branch, shaking a few leaves loose and motioning for me to follow.

Asahi joined the rest of the Leaf Nin in heading all the way back to Konoha, with half of their mission, partially done.

"How can you be sure she won't escape?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the Snake Sanin. Watching the figures bound away into the distance.

"Because, like she said, we need something from each other."

* * *

As we neared the Hidden Leaf gates I was exhausted. The scenery, travel-talk, and the travel itself were very draining for the most part. Occasionally I would chat with Sakura and Ino, who remarked that my outfit wasn't very fitting for a kunoichi, and made it their personal mission to get me into the right kind of clothes. I looked down at my tattered clothing. I had awoken in the clearing wearing a plain white T-shirt, and black pants. I'd been washing and re-wearing them for the past three days, but I had to admit I did miss what I wore back in my own dimension.

I did fall a couple times. Sometimes by tripping over a branch in mid-air, or not having timed my last jump right and running out of momentum over a spot with nothing to jump on. I talked to Neji and Hinata about their Byakugan, and answered questions about the Rinnegan. Naruto left me reeling when I told him I had never had the fancy sort of Ramen, only the noodles you can buy almost anywhere. Needless to say, I'll have to visit Ramen Ichiraku soon.

Shikamaru asked to play a game of Shogi with me, because you "can always learn about another through Shogi". I've played chess, and Shogi is sometimes called "Japanese Chess", so it shouldn't be that much different I'm assuming. Maybe I could actually beat Shikamaru at the "Generals' Game" in the future?

I asked Tenten for advice on senbon, Lee about Taijutsu (Since I'm clearly lacking in that department) and Sai about his "brother", Shin. Sai expressed a small bit of shock but told me briefly about their bond. I told him I liked his art too, and Shin was right to encourage him to continue drawing. I tried to imagine what Shin was like, so I pictured Naruto in ROOT and shuddered.

My last conversations were with Shino and Chouji, and I again got an earful about not having been to a formal Barbecue establishment. Shino told me his insects said I had an odd chakra, that was light, airy, but at the same time a bit mysterious. He also said that he doesn't mind being akin to a nest for his kikaichu. Having an insect land on my arm, let alone _enter my pores_, seems like a very unnerving situation, so I gave Shino props.

"Oh great Izumo, look, here comes Naruto." Joked Kotetsu, as the shinobi came springing into view.

"But who's that girl with them?" Izumo asked. He and Kotetsu took a more firm stance in front of the village gate, and tried to put on intimidating faces.

"It doesn't matter right now, I'm just glad_ someone _is coming by. I've been bored for hours!" Kotetsu faked a dramatic death before standing up straight, just as Kakashi and his comrades made it to the duo.

"Oi, Kakashi, who's the kunoichi?" Izumo looked Asahi up and down, noting that her attire didn't look like any shinobi he knew.

"This is Asahi." Kakashi brightened, waving a hand towards the girl, with the dark brown hair. "She'll be joining us in the village for a month."

"What's up with her eyes?" Kotetsu took a step closer to Asahi, peering in her face. Asahi fell back in surprise, causing Shikamaru to catch her. She deactivated her Rinnegan, after thanking Shikamaru.

"It's the Rinnegan." Shikamaru said matter-of-factly.

"Rinnegan? Isn't that a myth?" Kurenai brushed past the two guards, and gave a friendly smile to the ninja.

"It's_ supposed_ to be a myth." Asahi spoke, surprising the foreign Jonin. She smiled, "But it isn't." She thought about Pain before continuing. "At all."

"Interesting." Shikaku, whose presence was unknown until that moment, said.

Kotetsu screamed at the two Jonin, who were now outside the gates with everyone else. "Hey! Get back in the village! We didn't say you could exit!"

Izumo was yelling now, too. He turned away from everyone, towards his best friend. "Kotetsu, calm down! There's a foreign Nin here and that's our first priority!"

Izumo and Kotetsu yelled simultaneously when they turned back around. Everyone was gone, and had entered the village. They were now just fading, rising figures on the horizon.

* * *

"What do you mean you only _half_ completed the mission?" Lady Tsunade said to Kakashi, annoyed. She looked at the girl in front of her. She had on worn clothing, stringy, medium length hair, a tan skin-tone, and purple eyes. So this was the Rinnegan? No offense to the girl, but she didn't exactly look like someone with mounds of information. Tsunade resolved to test the girl later.

"Fine. Asahi, I've gotten an apartment for you to live in. Follow Naruto to his home, and then take 10 steps to the right, facing his door." Tsunade said, waiting to see if the girl would catch on.

"So my apartment is right next to Naruto's?" Asahi asked skeptically. How convenient.

"That's awfully troublesome…" Asahi trailed off aloud. Everyone exchanged awkward glances between her and Shikamaru.

"Right, sorry Shikamaru." She apologized.

"Well, if that's all, then thank you for everything Lady Hok—"

"My eternal rival! Kakashi I heard you've returned! I issue a challenge; can my cool rival stand up to me this time?" Gai swung through the window that _was_ resting peacefully in the Hokage's Chamber.

"Asahi, I'd love to stay and help you find your way around but …" Kakashi started, making a break for the door.

"No it's fine. Have fun." She said to the Jonin, who responded with a quick salute.

* * *

***Throws in a Titular Line***


End file.
